Diamond Stars premiums & R311 Glossy Finish

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Posted By: Ed Ford

I picked up a Diamond Stars wrapper last weekend and at the top of the wrapper it said: FREE 3 NEW 3 FREE
Photographic Art Pictures of major League Stars and Teams
1. WILLIAM H. (BILL) TERRY
2. BOSTON RED SOX
3. HAROLD J. (PIE) TRAYNOR
4. The World Champions 1934
5. American League Pennant Winners 1934
6. Jerome("Dizzy") Dean
7. Gordon S. ("Mickey") Cochrane

The bottom of the wrapper stated: The retail store here you bought this gum will give you one of these 7 MOST FAMOUS PICTURS in BASEBALL ABSOLUTELY FREE for only 15 DIAMOND STAR WRAPPERS.


In the Standart Catalog of Baseball Cards by SCD, there is no listing for Diamond Stars premiums but the checklist of R311 Glossy Finish from 1936 includes all of the above players and teams ( with the same first name and nicknames as on the wrapper) The intro paragraph to this 28 card set does not mention Diamond Stars but indicates that they were premiums.

Is any of this new information to the hobby ? thanks, Ed

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Posted By: Randy Trierweiler

If a post about credit card charges gets over 200 responses, I would think that a real genuine question about real genuine baseball cards might get at least 1 single response to Ed Fords queston here. I was with him when he acquired the Diamond Stars wrapper. I'm also interested in an answer to his question. Surely someone here knows the answer. This is a board about vintage CARDS right?

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Posted By: davidcycleback

According to Old Cardboard, some R311 Glossies were premiums with Diamond Stars Gum.

The R311s were made by National Chicle Co., and National Chicle was made Diamond Star Gum.

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Posted By: Ed Ford

David,thanks for the info. Any speculation as to the source of the other R311 premiums if not Diamond Stars wrappers trade-ins ?

Randy, thanks for the support.

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

I'm pretty sure the R311s were designed to help sell the Diamond Stars cards, although I suppose they could also have been used as premiums to promote the sale of the low number Batter Up cards. The high number Batter Up cards were packaged with the Rabbit Maranville "How To" booklets.

In 1937, a bankrupt National Chicle sold its assets to Goudey, who created the R303 premiums to sell Diamond Stars gum. So it really only makes sense that the 311s were relatively short-lived, perhaps 1936 only, and were designed to drive the sale of Diamond Stars gum/cards.

-Al

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Posted By: Mike

I believe all R311's can be found on different Diamond Star Wrappers. Premiums to sell Diamond Stars

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The "some" may mean a kid could get the premium from Diamond Stars or other National Chicle wrappers. Presumably National Chicle made a variety of gum brands, and perhaps a similar ad was printed on other National Chicle wrappers. If a kid returned to the store with 15 National Chicle wrappers, but only 12 Diamond Star brand, the store owner may give the kid the premium. This is only speculation on my part, and the word "some" was quoted from Old Cardboard, not a word I thought of.

The "some" may mean they know R311-1s came from Diamond Star wrapper redemption, but they aren't certain that was the only way to obtain them. Perhaps there were ads in magazines where a kid could buy a complete set. Or, as already noted, perhaps they could be obtained with wrappers from other National Chicle brands.

If someone wishes to start calling these cards R311-1 Diamond Star Premiums, that seems a fair enough name. The only other suitable name would be R311-1 National Chicle Premiums.

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Posted By: Ed Ford

Can anyone confirm that each of the R311s were advertised on a Diamond Star wrapper ? Does anyone know of a source other than a Diamond Star wrapper that advertised the R311s ? thanks,

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Posted By: John S

They were advertised on the National Chicle football wrappers as well. The football premiums are the same size as the baseball. There are 17 in the set and are commonly referred to as R311-2's or Chicle Premiums. I have purchased two scrapbook collections that contained both the baseball and football versions. They were obviously available simultaneously. The chicle football set was produced in 1935. Many of the premiums depict football scenes/team pictures from 1934 (and a few from 1935). A National Chicle football wrapper:

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Posted By: Lyman

Ed, would it be possible to post a scan of your Diamond Stars wrapper? It must be different from the wrapper below which refers to "50 Photographic Art Pictures" but does not list any player names. Thanks much. --Lyman